UPDATE 1-Tesoro to replace part of leaking N. Dakota pipeline

NEW YORK Oct 15 (Reuters) - Tesoro Logistics LP
will repair and replace a 200-foot section of the 20-year old
North Dakota pipeline that leaked 20,600 barrels of Bakken oil
onto farmland in late September, the company said on Tuesday.

The six-inch pipeline, which runs 35 miles, was carrying oil
to a rail facility outside Columbus in northwest North Dakota
when it ruptured. A local farmer, who was harvesting wheat on
his farm, discovered oil spouting from the line on Sept. 29.

The repair plans were submitted to and approved by the U.S.
Department of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials
Safety Administration (PHMSA), the company said.

"Once extracted, a portion of the pipeline will be sent to
an independent lab for analysis," Megan Arredondo, a Tesoro
spokeswoman said.

The San Antonio, Texas-based company declined to say what
caused the leak, citing ongoing investigations. It did not
provide a date for the line's restart.

State regulators have pointed to corrosion as the possible
cause of the leak although the investigation, headed by PHMSA,
is not yet complete.

So far, just over 2,100 barrels of the spilled oil has been
recovered, Arredondo said.